The survivorship and water loss of Liometopum luctuosum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and Liometopum occidentale (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) exposed to different temperatures and relative humidity.

Two species of velvety tree ants, Liometopum luctuosum Wheeler, and Liometopum occidentale Emery (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), are commonly found in the western Unites States from Washington to southern California. L. luctuosum is restricted to coniferous forests in the mountains in the southern range, whereas L. occidentale is found in the lowlands. The survivorship of workers of both species exposed to several temperatures and relative humidity (RH) was determined. As temperature increased, survival of both species decreased. As the RH increased, survival of both species increased. However, L. luctuosum had higher overall survival in all treatment groups. The cuticular permeability (CP) and the rates of body water loss for each species were determined. Both species had similar CPs. Increased physiological tolerances of L. luctuosum may be an explanation for its broader distribution

A Review of the Biology, Ecology and Behavior of Velvety Tree Ants of North America

Ants belonging to the genus Liometopum are regionally distributed across North America, Europe and Asia. L. apiculatum Mayr, L. luctuosum Wheeler, and L. occidentale Emery are found in western North America and are referred to as velvety tree ants. Very little is known about the biology of these species, but they are similar. They are typically associated with trees and shrubs and are frequently found tending hemipterans. All three species are are easily disturbed and and resort to highly aggressive behaviors including the use of strong alarm odors. The following review is intended to summarize the literature regarding the biology and control of these species. Special emphasis has been given to factors that might be important in their control and gaps in our current knowledge

A Review of the Biology, Ecology and Behavior of Velvety Tree Ants of North America

Ants belonging to the genus Liometopum are regionally distributed across North America, Europe and Asia. L. apiculatum Mayr, L. luctuosum Wheeler, and L. occidentale Emery are found in western North America and are referred to as velvety tree ants. Very little is known about the biology of these species, but they are similar. They are typically associated with trees and shrubs and are frequently found tending hemipterans. All three species are are easily disturbed and and resort to highly aggressive behaviors including the use of strong alarm odors. The following review is intended to summarize the literature regarding the biology and control of these species. Special emphasis has been given to factors that might be important in their control and gaps in our current knowledge.</span

Controlling the Cyanobacterial Clock by Synthetically Rewiring Metabolism

SummaryCircadian clocks are oscillatory systems that allow organisms to anticipate rhythmic changes in the environment. Several studies have shown that circadian clocks are connected to metabolism, but it is not generally clear whether metabolic signaling is one voice among many that influence the clock or whether metabolic cycling is the major clock synchronizer. To address this question in cyanobacteria, we used a synthetic biology approach to make normally autotrophic cells capable of growth on exogenous sugar. This allowed us to manipulate metabolism independently from light and dark. We found that feeding sugar to cultures blocked the clock-resetting effect of a dark pulse. Furthermore, in the absence of light, the clock efficiently synchronizes to metabolic cycles driven by rhythmic feeding. We conclude that metabolic activity, independent of its source, is the primary clock driver in cyanobacteria

Towards Mapping Competencies through Learning Analytics: Real-time Competency Assessment for Career Direction through Interactive Simulation

Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 201, pp. 1-13

Susceptibility of adult cat fleas (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) to insecticides and status of insecticide resistance mutations at the Rdl and knockdown resistance loci

This is an Open Access article. © 2015 The Author(s). Published by Springer Berlin Heidelberg.The susceptibility of 12 field-collected isolates and 4 laboratory strains of cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis was determined by topical application of some of the insecticides used as on-animal therapies to control them. In the tested field-collected flea isolates the LD50 values for fipronil and imidacloprid ranged from 0.09 to 0.35 ng/flea and 0.02 to 0.19 ng/flea, respectively, and were consistent with baseline figures published previously. The extent of variation in response to four pyrethroid insecticides differed between compounds with the LD50 values for deltamethrin ranging from 2.3 to 28.2 ng/flea, etofenprox ranging from 26.7 to 86.7 ng/flea, permethrin ranging from 17.5 to 85.6 ng/flea, and d-phenothrin ranging from 14.5 to 130 ng/flea. A comparison with earlier data for permethrin and deltamethrin implied a level of pyrethroid resistance in all isolates and strains. LD50 values for tetrachlorvinphos ranged from 20.0 to 420.0 ng/flea. The rdl mutation (conferring target-site resistance to cyclodiene insecticides) was present in most field-collected and laboratory strains, but had no discernible effect on responses to fipronil, which acts on the same receptor protein as cyclodienes. The kdr and skdr mutations conferring target-site resistance to pyrethroids but segregated in opposition to one another, precluding the formation of genotypes homozygous for both mutations.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Two KaiABC systems control circadian oscillations in one cyanobacterium

The circadian clock of cyanobacteria, which predicts daily environmental changes, typically includes a standard oscillator consisting of proteins KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC. However, several cyanobacteria have diverse Kai protein homologs of unclear function. In particular, Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 harbours, in addition to a canonical kaiABC gene cluster (named kaiAB1C1), two further kaiB and kaiC homologs (kaiB2, kaiB3, kaiC2, kaiC3). Here, we identify a chimeric KaiA homolog, named KaiA3, encoded by a gene located upstream of kaiB3. At the N-terminus, KaiA3 is similar to response-regulator receiver domains, whereas its C-terminal domain resembles that of KaiA. Homology analysis shows that a KaiA3-KaiB3-KaiC3 system exists in several cyanobacteria and other bacteria. Using the Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 homologs, we observe circadian oscillations in KaiC3 phosphorylation in vitro in the presence of KaiA3 and KaiB3. Mutations of kaiA3 affect KaiC3 phosphorylation, leading to growth defects under both mixotrophic and chemoheterotrophic conditions. KaiC1 and KaiC3 exhibit phase-locked free-running phosphorylation rhythms. Deletion of either system (∆kaiAB1C1 or ∆kaiA3B3C3) alters the period of the cellular backscattering rhythm. Furthermore, both oscillators are required to maintain high-amplitude, self-sustained backscatter oscillations with a period of approximately 24 h, indicating their interconnected nature